Travel

We love to travel with our dogs! We have been amazed at the amount of places that allow us to bring not one, but two 70 lb Golden Retrievers along with us. Here are some of our favorite places to stay with the pups, as well as some great resources to find Pet-friendly rentals/hotels.

San Diego

Our pups LOOOOOVE trips to San Diego, CA! It is an easy 6 hour car ride from Phoenix (and they love car rides).

Where to Stay: On our last visit to the beach, we found the most adorable studio using Vacation Rental By Owner. Not only is this place super pet-friendly and perfect for your pooch, it is extremely affordable and is in the perfect location in North Pacific Beach! We look forward to staying here every time we are in San Diego with the dogs. Tourmaline beach (walking distance from this rental) allows dogs during certain times in the morning and evening – so it’s great!

Where to eat: Hennessy’s Tavern in San Diego allowed the dogs on their side patio. It was so much fun to enjoy a pint, feel the ocean breeze, and have the pups at our feet. Fig Tree Cafe is also pet-friendly and great for breakfast!

Sedona

Brad and I got engaged in Sedona, so it is a very special town for us. It’s a quick 2 hour drive from our home in Phoenix, and is a very dog-friendly town.

Where to stay: We love El Portal! They welcome dogs of all sizes, and go above and beyond to ensure your pups are well taken care of. They even had some welcome treats for the dogs when we walked in our room. Each of the guestrooms are unique, and are stunningly beautiful and cozy. We went for our 1 year Anniversary and stayed in the Juniper room – had an amazing stay! I also recommend The Orchards Inn, they offer select rooms that are pet-friendly. Incredible views from every room!

Things to do: There are tons of great hiking trails to take your dogs on, we did this every day we were there. Be sure to take a camera!

Places to eat: If you are staying at El Portal, Tlaquepaque village is right next door and has several dining options. We didn’t find one that allows pups, so we just ordered to-go from Oak Creek Brewery and ate dinner in our cozy room next to the fire – it was awesome! Another great restaurant we found and loved was Taos Cantina – there is an outside patio that they may allow dogs at.

Phoenix Staycations

Since Phoenix is home to some of the nation’s most fabulous hotels, spas and pools, we have done quite a few “staycations” – especially during the summertime when they offer fabulous rates for local residents. There are quite a few that welcome our pups, too! Here are some of our favorites:

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass: This hotel is a good 45 minute drive from our home, and is far off the freeway into the desert – so it kind of feels like we are on vacation to a different city. They welcome dogs of all sizes, and have great rooms on the ground floor making it very easy to walk your dog. They have beautiful hotel grounds! We also loved the personal touches like a dog bed and food/water bowls in our room.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale: I’m an Arizona native, and this has always been my favorite hotel in the valley. They recently announced their “4Paws” Pet-Friendly program – we look forward to booking our next staycation and trying it out

Colorado

In our opinion, Colorado is the most dog-friendly state in the United States. There are SO many activities to do with your pup, and just about every town welcomes them with open arms. I’m sure we will add several other places to this list, but here are our current favorite dog-friendly cities in Colorado.

Telluride

I think the best word to explain Telluride is: magical. This tiny little town nestled in the mountains is one of our favorite places in the world, you’ll feel like you’re in Switzerland when staying here. During the summer months, the town has several gorgeous hiking trails. They also have several “Puppy Parking” areas around town that allow you to safely tie your dog up when walking into shops and restaurants. The town’s shuttle bus system the “Galloping Goose” welcome dogs. Our favorite dog-friendly attraction is the gondola that runs between Telluride and Mountain Village. As you can see in the photo below, Roxy had so much fun riding the Gondola!

Where to stay: The town of Telluride offers several pet-friendly hotel options. When we visited we stayed at the Camel’s Garden. You can’t beat the location – it’s next door to the gondola and walking distance to everything. The rooms are huge, beds are super comfty, and their pet fees are extremely reasonable. For more pet-friendly options, the town of Telluride’s website has a pet-friendly page that is a wonderful resource.

Vail Valley

Vail Valley is another gorgeous place to plan a Colorado vacation anytime of year. This area can be a little bit pricey – but you get what you pay for because it’s absolutely breathtaking.

Where to Stay: Westin Riverfront at Beaver Creek Quite possibly one of the best experiences I’ve had while staying at a hotel. The property is gorgeous, nestled right on the creek with views of the mountains. There is a path along the creek that is perfect for walks, and Roxy even went for a swim in the creek. The rooms are huge with super high ceilings, and even include a kitchenette with everything you could possibly need – microwave, ceramic stove top, small refrigerator, plates, silverware – you name it! The hotel almost seems too nice to accept dogs (especially large furry ones like ours). But – our pups were welcomed by treats from the valet staff, and Westin “heavenly” dog beds when we entered our room. One tip: Request a room on the ground floor so it is easy to take your pup out to do its business. As you can see, Roxy & Quincey loved every second at the Westin Beaver Creek. Spoiled pups!

Ouray

Ouray is a tiny little town between some of the most rugged and tall peaks of the Rocky Mountains. For this reason, it’s nickname is the “Switzerland of America.” It also boasts a lot of history for it’s famous gold mine. Although when we were there we didn’t get as much time as we’d like to explore, we did discover that you can bring your dogs to the Billy Goat Gruff’s outdoor beer garden. After a long drive this place was just what the doctor ordered. Yummy quick bites, great assortment of draft beers, and beautiful views.Where to stay: We stayed at the Ouray Comfort Inn. The hotel was clean, staff was friendly, and it also offered free breakfast. It was a little bit pricey though – I think because we went during peak season. For other pet-friendly lodging options, you can visit the Ouray, CO official website.

Travel Resources

The AAA Petbook is awesome. Just look up a city, and it lists every pet-friendly hotel option available. We’re also very proud to say that Quincey’s photo is in the new (13th edition) copy of the book! Every year they do a petbook photo contest, and Quincey was a semi-finalist. We’re so proud of him

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About the Author

On January 8, 2010, my life was forever changed when my husband and I adopted our first Golden Retriever, Quincey. Quincey made us fall in love with the Golden Retriever breed. Everything from their demeanor, obedience, and that floppy tongue smile – it’s no wonder why they are such a popular dog! After having Quincey for about 6 months, Brad and I already wanted another one to join the family.. so Quincey got a little puppy sister we named Roxy.

Due to Quincey and Roxy's popularity on facebook (my friends couldn't get enough of their photos!) I decided to start a blog to post photos and stories of our four-legged children for everyone to enjoy. Soon my blog started to transform into more of a community where Golden lovers across the globe could share stories, photos, and educate one another on this incredible breed. I encourage my readers to comment on my postings, submit their own pictures or topics, and share this site with other Golden lovers. I hope we can all learn a lot from each other!

Thank you for visiting my blog - and for loving Golden Retrievers!

Many thanks,
Kristen

PS - If you like wine, please visit ONEHOPEWine.com! When I'm not spending time with the Goldens, I'm working hard for this amazing company that donates 50% of profits to partner charities.